MOH Column

Celebrating National Breastfeeding Week in Simcoe Muskoka

Oct 04, 2016

October 1-7 is National Breastfeeding Week and there is a lot to celebrate in Simcoe Muskoka.

October 1-7 is National Breastfeeding Week and there is a lot to celebrate in Simcoe Muskoka. I’d like to share my enthusiasm and celebrate the most recent strides our communities have made in supporting breastfeeding families. We know that building support for breastfeeding is critical for new parents. This is particularly important, given that about 90 per cent of families in Simcoe and Muskoka begin breastfeeding when their babies are born, but not all continue. With appreciation to our dedicated community partners, we would like to highlight a few of their efforts.

More businesses, organizations and municipalities in Simcoe and Muskoka have become breastfeeding-friendly places. You may have noticed one of our life-sized breastfeeding mom cut-outs on display, or a breastfeeding-friendly decal on a building window to indicate that breastfeeding is welcome on-site. Municipal properties in Penetanguishene and Collingwood will be breastfeeding-friendly with the passing of policies in these municipalities, and hopefully more communities will follow suit.

Since 2015, more than 350 health care providers, community organization staff and peer mothers have received breastfeeding education to support breastfeeding families. There is also a steering committee of health care partners who are working together to increase support for breastfeeding in hospitals and community-based health services. We now have special information just for grandmothers and other female relatives to support breastfeeding family members. Thank you to all of the grandmas, nanas, nonas, omas, aunties, and elders (and the list goes on) who play this important role.

Simcoe and Muskoka are doing an admirable job of providing communities of support for breastfeeding families… Let’s keep moving forward.